Inspector Imanishi Investigates

Written by Seicho Matsumoto

Narrated by Kenichiro Thomson

Tokyo, 1960s. An unassuming but respected homicide detective, Eitaro Imanishi has a knack for both writing haiku and solving crimes. But when a mysterious unidentified body appears on the tracks of a rail yard, Imanishi has his work cut out for him. Soon, he finds himself on a strange chase that takes him from the hip hangouts of avant-garde Tokyo to a spa in rural Honshu. And all the while, the body count is climbing.

“First-rate … In the classic tradition of Georges Simenon’s Inspector Maigret of Paris and P. D. James’s Chief Inspector Dalgliesh in England.”—New York Times Book Review

• Language: English
• Publisher: Recorded Books, Inc.
• Translator: Beth Cary
• Release date: Nov 29, 2024
• ISBN: 9798894868110

Seicho Matsumoto

Seicho Matsumoto (1909-1982) was Japan's most successful mystery writer. His first detective novel, Points and Lines, sold over a million copies in Japan. Vessel of Sand, published in English as Inspector Imanishi Investigates in1989, sold over four million copies and became a movie box-office hit.

Reviews for Inspector Imanishi Investigates

[texasstorm_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

First, I am a long-time resident of Japan, so I'm very familiar with Japanese culture, though not the same Japan as depicted here in 1960 Showa Japan. This book both compelled and exasperated me. I rather like the methodical research done by Imanishi as he pursues leads, many of which don't pan out. On the other hand, I hated the coincidences and leaps of logic that struck me as highly improbable. I truly hated the subplot about what turned out to be an unlikely murder weapon (which I won't describe, as it's a spoiler).The depiction of Imanishi's wife made me laugh. Her only function is to prepare meals and suitcases, relate gossip from the neighborhood, and entertain Imanishi's sister, In a movie version, her character was dispensed with, to no apparent disadvantage. This book compelled me to read on, but I found myself equally pleased and displeased at what transpired. I may have given this book too many stars, but somehow I like it.

[ridgewaygirl · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is an old school police procedural set in Japan. Written by Seicho Matsumoto in the early sixties, it's a peek into Japan, a generation ago. In a structured society, still recovering from the aftermath of WWII, Imanishi hunts for the killer of a man found murdered at a rail yard in Tokyo. The investigation takes time, with information requested by letter and with Imanishi following though with every elusive lead.

This book reminded me of the Martin Beck series by Per Wahloo and Maj Sjowell, where the investigation isn't wrapped up quickly and there are no guns fired, but the case is solved by solid and dogged police persistence.

[callmecayce · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I don't know how to explain how much I loved this book. I picked it up on a whim (a Japanese actor I like is in the 2011 remake/2 ep special based on the novel) and ended up falling in love with the writing, the story and the characters. There's something about Seicho Matsumoto that I find absolutely endearing and his two main characters (Imanishi and Yoshimura) are utterly charming. I'm not sure why I feel this way, this is a murder mystery, after all. But it was one of the best I've ever read. It's not necessarily a moving/emotionally charged novel, but I was gripped from the moment I got it, until the extremely satisfying conclusion. I did hazard a few guesses as to the identity of the murderer and eventually figured it, but not too much before Imanishi put the pieces together). I really hope there are more English translations of Seicho Matsumoto's books to come, because I want to read them all.

[michelekingery · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Miso and Murder

"The murderer had viciously battered the victim's face after death, indicating that the criminal was someone who hated the victim a great deal, or that the murderer had intended to destroy the face totally in order to prevent identification of the body. The investigation team concluded the crime had not been motivated by robbery but was a murder committed by an acquaintance of the victim acting out of hatred, perhaps a crime of passion." (p. 5)

With little to go on, other than a faceless corpse, Inspector Imanishi sets out to find a murderer. The clues are scarce, dead ends abound, yet the inspector works on. In some ways he reminded me of the Japanese version of Columbo, all rumpled trench coat and dogged patience. Except Imanishi wears a kimono, at least at home. He also collects miniature bonsai trees, eats miso soup and rice for breakfast, writes haikus and spends a lot of time reclining on a tatami mat, smoking cigarettes and pondering the case.

Several times I almost gave up on this book - too many strange names: train stations, prefectures, and people. Too many quiet moments. Too little drama. But page by page, it began to grow on me. I liked the way Imanishi poured green tea over his rice before he ate it. I liked the way his wife, Yoshiko, fussed over him and how he followed hunch after hunch until he solved the case.

Imanishi isn't a man given to emotion. He is quiet, determined and thorough. His search for the killer is less a roller coaster ride, and more a game of soduku - of trying different things until something fits then moving to the next step.

Seicho Matsumoto didn't start writing until he was in his forties. He went on to write 450 novels before he died at age 83. On the back of the 1989 version of this book (originally published in 1961) is a photo of the author; gray hair scraped back and hanging below his ears, horn-rimmed glasses, white shirt, thin black tie and an unlit cigarette dangling from his lips. He has the stony expression and creased face of someone who's pulled a few too many all-nighters.

I love this guy.

I ended up loving this book.

I wish more of his books were in print. Amazon is releasing a title in May called Pro Bono. I will definitely be ordering a copy.

[c2pergiel · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

A pleasant, interesting read. A great number of Japanese character names and place names made it a bit of a challenge to follow. I wonder if the reading experience would have been different if the names had been changed to something more familiar.

Little bits of Japanese culture poke through here and there, plus the book dates from 1961. Have to wonder about conditions in Japan at that time. There is even some mention of WWII, some people the inspector wanted to talk to were killed in a bombing raid. Likewise, some records he wanted were destroyed in the same fire bombing raid.

The plot was complex, and with the unfamiliar names it was sometimes a bit difficult to follow. Still, a very good story.

[winterfox-392140 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Here we have another Japanese book that I've read in translation this year, and this one's been kicking around in my collection for quite a long time. Turns out, I probably should have gotten to it sooner.

Plot-wise, there's a dead body found at a train station in Tokyo, badly beaten, and there are very few clues to go on; the guy had an accent associated with the Tohoku region of Japan, and he referred to "Kameda." From there, our intrepid detective, Imanishi, has to figure out what happens, and in the process, work out a lot of related issues. It's a fairly roundabout plot, with a lot of red herrings, and a course of investigation that seems to have little to do with the main case. Things come together nicely, though, in the end, and I found the ending quite interesting.

The characters, beyond the main one and the two main suspects, are pretty thin; even the secondary detective character doesn't come across that clearly. Imanishi's family, and such, only seem to be there in order to say that he has one, in some ways. Still, those characters that are important have enough detail to follow and predict and such, and that can be enough.

Mysteries, because they may take a look at a broader slice of a country than other forms of literature, can shed a light on areas in a culture which otherwise might go unnoticed. This book is a good example of that, I think; there's some oblique commentary on the onset of a new generation and the effects that has on a society, and also of the way people are treated when they don't fit the society norm. There's also a fair amount of dissonance for me brought on by a fairly contemporary but much less technologically advanced Japan; as has already been pointed out to me, this is a factor in older books from many cultures, but Japan in my mind just stands out, considering its image as so tech-oriented. (I mean, 16 hours from Tokyo to Akita by train? Or 20 to Okayama? Weird.)

Anyway, it's a pretty good read, but the translation is a bit choppy, and that gets it a few demerits. All in all, it's enjoyable, though, and it's considered a masterpiece of Japanese detective fiction, so if you've an interest in that sort of thing, giving this a shot would make sense.

[bcquinnsmom · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Inspector Imanishi Investigates is a serious crime novel which starts out with a murdered victim discovered under the tracks of a train in a station. The victim has not been killed by the train; his face was bashed in and he was strangled. The only clues the police have are that he spoke with a northern dialect, and the word "Kameda" was overheard in a conversation between the murderer and his victim in a bar. So from these two clues as a starting point, Inspector Imanishi of Tokyo must track down a killer. While he is searching for clues, a woman commits suicide and there are two other murders. Are they all related? And if so, how? This is the task of the Inspector.

I absolutely loved this story. It had layers and layers of clues, red herrings, dead ends, multiple suspects & no gratuitous sex. It was written in 1961,but except for some of the technology, you'd never know it.

I highly recommend this as a mystery novel to be read by lovers of serious mystery stories.